WO2015143998A1

WO2015143998A1 - Intravascular interventional tactile probe having touching force range and position information feedback

Info

Publication number: WO2015143998A1
Application number: PCT/CN2015/074146
Authority: WO
Inventors: 贾罗琦; 贾宗毅
Original assignee: 上海凯旦医疗科技有限公司
Priority date: 2014-03-28
Filing date: 2015-03-13
Publication date: 2015-10-01
Also published as: US10065022B2; EP3124068B1; CN103877664A; CN103877664B; AU2015237047A1; EP3124068A4; US20170106169A1; JP2017510392A; JP6186522B2; AU2015237047B2; EP3124068A1

Abstract

An intravascular interventional tactile probe having a touching force range and position information feedback, comprising: a central column (7); a plurality of side wall electrodes (2) arranged on the periphery of the central column (7); a touch sleeve (1) which has electrical conductivity and can move relative to the central column (7) in an axial direction and in a radial direction; a top touch electrode (3) which can be movably connected to the central column (7); and an early-warning electrode (4) which can generate a side touch position signal when the touch sleeve (1) moves relative to the central column (7) in the radial direction and is electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of side wall electrodes (2). When moving for a first distance (d1) relative to the central column (7) in the axial direction, the touch sleeve (1) can be electrically connected to the top touch electrode (3) so as to generate a top touch signal, and when the axial displacement of the touch sleeve (1) relative to the central column (7) reaches the second distance (d2), the touch sleeve (1) can be electrically connected to the early-warning electrode (4) and generate an early-warning signal. The tactile probe having the above structure can distinguish a touch position and can indicate the magnitude of a touching force as well.

Description

Intravascular interventional tactile probe with contact force and orientation information feedback

Technical field

The invention belongs to the field of medical instruments, and in particular relates to an intravascular interventional tactile probe with feedback of the force range and orientation information.

Background technique

The development of endovascular interventional medicine is a great leap in the history of human medicine. However, the insertion of intravascular interventional guide catheters is blindly inserted by the operator's hand and experience, and damage to the inner wall of blood vessels often occurs. What's more, it will break the blood vessels and cause a major medical accident. For this reason, it has become an urgent need in the art to develop an interventional catheter that can be used in clinical practice to avoid damage to the inner wall of blood vessels.

The invention disclosed in the applicant's publication No. CN103041495A discloses an intravascular interventional tactile probe, which can detect the seventeen kinds of contact orientations of the probe relative to the blood vessel wall by using the electrode switch type sensor, and solves the traditional blindness. The insertion method cannot accurately sense the problem that the interventional catheter touches the inner wall of the blood vessel and cannot distinguish the contact orientation.

However, when using this tactile probe, it was found that although the probe can indicate the orientation of the catheter against the vessel wall, the magnitude of the contact force cannot be known. In actual operation, it is often encountered that the interventional catheter touches an obstacle in the blood vessel, such as a vascular site that is formed by a physiological or pathological stenosis, but can be slightly forced through the obstacle, and the interventional procedure can be continued. Does not hurt the inner wall of the blood vessel. Since the probe can only detect the presence of an obstacle, it is impossible to know whether it can be passed with a little more force at this time, and thus the intravascular intervention cannot be continued.

In view of this, it is necessary to improve the above-mentioned probe to propose an intravascular interventional tactile probe which can recognize the various directions of the touch force and can sense the magnitude of the contact force.

Summary of the invention

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an intravascular interventional catheter tactile probe that can distinguish both the touching orientation and the magnitude of the touching force.

In order to solve the above technical problem, a first aspect of the present invention provides a tactile probe comprising: a central column extending in the axial direction; a plurality of side wall electrodes uniformly arranged on the outer periphery of the central column; and a conductive bump a contact sleeve circumferentially surrounding the outer circumference of the center pillar, the contact sleeve comprising a top portion and a side wall, the top portion being connected to the front end of the center pillar by an elastic body, the first end of the side wall being connected To the top, the second end circumferentially surrounds the outer circumference of the plurality of sidewall electrodes, and the sidewalls and each The sidewall electrode has a radial gap therebetween; a top bump electrode is connected to the center pillar and has a first axial distance from the top of the touch sleeve; an early warning electrode is fixed to the a central post, located at an axial position behind the contact sleeve and the top-impact electrode; wherein the contact sleeve is radially movable relative to the center post and electrically connectable to at least one of the plurality of sidewall electrodes Generating a side impact signal; wherein the touch sleeve is axially movable relative to the center post such that when the axial displacement of the contact sleeve relative to the center post reaches the first axial distance, the bump The contact sleeve is electrically connected to the top bump electrode to generate a top touch signal, and a second axial distance greater than the first axial distance when the axial displacement of the touch sleeve relative to the center pillar The contact sleeve is electrically connected to the warning electrode and generates an early warning signal.

In order to solve the above technical problem, a second aspect of the present invention provides a tactile probe comprising: a center post extending in the axial direction; a plurality of side wall electrodes uniformly arranged on the outer circumference of the center post; a substantially annular shape An electrically conductive contact sleeve circumferentially surrounding the outer periphery of the center post, the contact sleeve having a first end connected to the front end of the center post by an elastic body, and a second end circumferentially surrounding An outer circumference of the plurality of sidewall electrodes, and a radial gap between the contact sleeve and each of the sidewall electrodes; a top bump electrode connected to the center pillar and the first contact panel a first axial distance between the two ends; an early warning electrode fixed to the central column and located at an axial position behind the touch cover and the top touch electrode; wherein the touch cover can be opposite to the center The column is radially movable and can be electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of sidewall electrodes to generate a side impact signal; wherein the contact sleeve is axially movable relative to the center post such that when the contact sleeve is opposite The axial displacement of the center column reaches the first axial distance The contact sleeve is electrically connected to the top-impact electrode to generate a top-impact signal, and when the axial displacement of the contact sleeve relative to the center post reaches one greater than the first axial distance The second contact sleeve forms an electrical connection with the warning electrode and generates an early warning signal.

When the tactile probe of the present invention encounters an obstacle, the signal generated by the contact sleeve forming contact with one or more of the top impact electrode and the plurality of side impact electrodes can accurately indicate the orientation of the touch, which is convenient for the operator to control. The interventional catheter makes an evasive action in the opposite direction of the obstacle, and easily manipulates the interventional catheter to disengage and bypass the obstacle to continue to advance; 2. By setting the limit warning electrode, the function of sensing the touch force is realized, when the probe is the first resistance When the signal (ie, the top touch signal) is generated, it indicates that there is an obstacle in front of or directly in front of the probe, but within the controllable range, it can continue to advance. When the probe generates a second signal (ie, an early warning signal), the probe encounters The resistance has reached the limit, and then continue to hurt the blood vessels The inner wall should stop moving forward.

In addition, the device uses its ingenious concept, inexpensive materials, and simple production process to form its low production cost and meet the characteristics of disposable intravascular intervention consumables.

DRAWINGS

1 to 6 are schematic cross-sectional views of a tactile probe according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of sidewall electrodes of the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

8A and 8B are variations of the limit warning electrode;

Figure 9 is a schematic view of the opening of the interventional catheter on the side;

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a tactile probe according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

11 to 15 are schematic cross-sectional views of a tactile probe according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a tactile probe according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

17 and 18 are schematic views of a variation of the third embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 19 is a schematic illustration of a variation of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

detailed description

The above described objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the aspects of the appended claims. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and all use non-precise proportions, and are only for convenience and clarity to assist the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention.

According to the clinical experience of endovascular interventional surgery, during the insertion of the catheter into the blood vessel, the damage to the vessel wall mainly comes from the insertion force of the interventional catheter to the front or the front side. However, since the blood vessel has a certain elasticity, when the top force is controlled within an appropriate range, no damage is caused to the blood vessel wall, or only a very slight damage is caused. In view of this, the core idea of the present invention is to improve the tactile probe of the front end of the interventional catheter so that the probe can be subjected to the pressure on the front side or the front side, that is, the blood vessel wall or the obstacle facing the front side or the front side of the probe. The magnitude of the force of the object is indicated to determine whether the magnitude of the force is still within a controllable range, thereby facilitating the advancement of the catheter within the blood vessel on the one hand and effectively preventing damage to the inner wall of the blood vessel by the interventional catheter on the other hand.

First embodiment

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a tactile probe mounted as a portion of an intravascular interventional catheter at the foremost end of an interventional catheter, in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the touch The probe comprises a central column 7 extending along a longitudinal axis XX, and the electrically conductive contact sleeve 1 is connected to the front end of the central column 7 by a polymeric elastomer 5, which can be, for example, a ring capable of passing current Made of metal. Specifically, the touch cover 1 includes a top portion 11 and an annular side wall 12, the top portion 11 is substantially disk-shaped, and has an opening 13 at the center so as to be sleeved on the outer circumference of the center column 7, and the aperture of the opening 13 is larger than the center. The outer diameter of the column 7 provides an active space for the radial movement of the contact sleeve 1 relative to the central column 7. The top portion 11 of the touch sleeve 1 and the annular side wall 12 may be separately formed and connected, or may be integrally formed. The polymeric elastomer 5 may be an elastic film having a central portion fixed to the front end of the center post 7 and an edge fixed to the top portion 11 of the touch sleeve 1. Since the polymer elastic body 5 has an elastic force, the contact sleeve 1 can be moved back and forth along the axis XX relative to the center column 7 (as indicated by an arrow F1) and radially (as indicated by an arrow F2), as shown in FIG. A schematic diagram of touching the sleeve 1 while moving a certain distance in the axial direction and the radial direction. The touch cover 1 is used as a signal input device for the entire tactile probe, and is connected to an electrical signal input terminal by a wire (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 1, the tactile probe further includes a plurality of sidewall electrodes 2 uniformly arranged on the outer circumference of the center pillar 7, and the plurality of sidewall electrodes 2 are disposed on the front surface of the sidewall electrode holder 9, that is, facing the center pillar 7. The surface of the front end is fixed to the center post 7 by the side wall electrode holder 9. The shape of the side wall electrode 2 may be a columnar shape, a sheet shape, a dot shape, or a radioactive needle shape. In this embodiment, four sidewall electrodes are taken as an example. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of the sidewall electrodes 2 around the central pillar 7. As shown in FIG. 7, the four sidewall electrodes 2 are arranged in a ring shape at equal intervals. . As an output device for touching the azimuth signal, each of the sidewall electrodes 2 is connected to a corresponding electrical signal output end by a wire (not shown) for cooperating with the touch cover 1 to output indicating that the probe is laterally encountered. The side impact signal of the obstacle.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the rear end of the annular side wall 12 of the touch sleeve 1 circumferentially surrounds the outer circumference of the plurality of side wall electrodes 2, and the annular side wall 12 and each of the side wall electrodes 2 have A radial gap. When the touch sleeve 1 touches the obstacle laterally, a contact pressure is generated, and the contact sleeve 1 is pressed against the obstacle, so that the touch sleeve 1 is radially displaced relative to the center pillar 7. The gap with the side wall electrode 2 becomes small until the side wall 12 of the contact sleeve comes into contact with one or both of the plurality of side wall electrodes 2 to open the loop. Figure 2 shows a schematic view of the side wall 12 of the contact sleeve in contact with one of the side wall electrodes 2. The specific lateral orientation of the contact sleeve 1 against the obstacle can be indicated by an electrical signal output by the one or both side wall electrodes 2 in contact with the touch sleeve 1. By adjusting the size of the radial gap between each of the side wall electrodes 2 and the side wall 12 of the contact sleeve 1, the amount of force that the probe senses the side wall touch can be adjusted. Although four sidewall electrodes are used in this embodiment, the number of sidewall electrodes is not To be limited thereto, it is easy to understand that the more the number of sidewall electrodes, the more precise the accuracy of sensing the side impact orientation.

Referring to FIG. 1 further, the tactile probe further includes a top touch electrode 3 and an extreme warning electrode 4. The top striking electrode 3 is sleeved on the outer circumference of the center post 7, between the side wall electrode 2 and the top 11 of the touch sleeve 1, and is connected to the center post 7 by a spring 6, and is movable back and forth along the axis XX with respect to the center post 7. . One end of the spring 6 is fixed to the top striking electrode 3, and the other end can be directly fixed to the center post 7 or fixed to the center post 7 by a spring seat 60. The spring seat 60 may be a ring that is sleeved outside the center post 7 and has a certain rigidity, one end abuts against the front surface of the side wall electrode holder 9, and the other end is used to fix the spring 6. The limit warning electrode 4 is a metal sleeve electrode sleeved on the outer periphery of the sidewall electrode holder 9, and is not in contact with the sidewall electrode 2 and is axially aligned with the annular sidewall 12 of the contact sleeve 1, and the limit warning is provided. The electrode 4 has a fixed position relative to the center post 7. Similar to the sidewall electrode 2, the top bump electrode 3 and the limit warning electrode 4 are also respectively connected to the corresponding electrical signal output terminals through wires (not shown) for cooperating with the touch sleeve 1 to respectively indicate that the probe is directly in front of the probe The warning signal of the obstacle encountered in the obstacle and the warning that the insertion force is applied to the blood vessel wall to the front or the front of the blood vessel has reached the limit.

The top electrode 3 has a front surface 31 facing forward, i.e., in the direction of the top 11 of the contact sleeve, and may be made, for example, of a metal foil. Alternatively, the top bump electrode 3 may further include an annular support portion 32 connected to the edge of the front surface 31 to serve as a support for preventing the top bump electrode 3 from undergoing a large deformation when subjected to an external force.

In the initial state, that is, in the case where the touch cover 1 is not subjected to any external force, the axial distance of the front surface 31 of the top electrode 3 to the top 11 of the touch cover is d1, and the limit warning electrode 4 is brought to the side wall of the touch cover. The axial distance of 12 is d2. When the touch sleeve 1 encounters an obstacle in front of it, the force generated by the obstacle against the touch sleeve 1 will drive the touch sleeve 1 rearward along the axis XX, that is, toward the top touch electrode 3, when moving When the distance reaches d1, as shown in FIG. 3, the top portion 11 of the touch sleeve contacts the front surface 31 of the top bump electrode 3, thereby turning on the loop, and the top touch electrode 3 outputs a top touch signal. As the touch sleeve 1 is further moved rearward along the axis XX by the direct forward contact force, the top portion 11 of the touch sleeve 1 will apply a rearward pressure to the top contact electrode 3, causing the spring 6 to compress, thereby pushing The top-touch electrode 3 continues to move rearward together. When the moving distance reaches d2, as shown in FIG. 4, the side wall 12 of the touch sleeve contacts the limit warning electrode 4, so that the loop is turned on, and the warning signal is outputted by the limit warning electrode 4, indicating that the probe has encountered The ultimate pressure should stop the penetration of the catheter.

Although only the case where the front side of the probe is moved backward is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, it will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that when the front side of the probe is pressed, an axial component and a radial component are generated. The touch cover 1 is moved in the radial direction in addition to the rearward movement along the axis X-X, and when the one or two side wall electrodes 2 are radially touched, the side collision signal is simultaneously emitted. 5 and 6 respectively show a schematic view of the contact sleeve 1 contacting the top electrode 3 and the side wall electrode 2 after the front left side of the probe is pressed, and the contact sleeve 1 simultaneously with the top electrode 3 and the side wall electrode. 2 and the schematic diagram of the contact of the limit warning electrode 4.

Therefore, for the case where four sidewall electrodes are provided, assuming that the four sidewall electrodes respectively represent the east, south, west, and north directions, the tactile probe can give the following 26 kinds of indication signals: front, east, and south. , West, North, Southeast, Northeast, Southwest, Northwest, East, South, West, North, Southeast, Northeast, Southwest, Northwest, Front Front, extreme north front, extreme southeast front, extreme northeast front, extreme southwest front, extreme northwest front. As the number of sidewall electrodes increases, the indicator signal of the probe increases further.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 , the front end of the tactile probe may further be provided with a touch cover cap 8 which is bonded to the touch cover 1 as a whole, and the edge of the polymer elastic body 5 may be bonded. It is fixed between the contact cover cap 8 and the touch cover 1. When the tactile probe encounters an obstacle, the contact cap 8 is moved synchronously with the touch cover 1. The front end of the center post 7 and the polymer elastic body 5 can be covered by the cover cap 8 to provide a protective effect.

The center post 7 can be made solid or hollow depending on the design requirements. 1 to 6, a hollow central column 7 is shown. Correspondingly, the central portion of the polymeric elastic body 5 has an opening, and the front end of the contact hood 8 also has an opening (not shown). The use of a hollow central post allows the opening 70 of the interventional catheter to be positioned directly forward. This opening 70 can be used for the access of the interventional instrument and the release of the aqueous medication without any damage to the vessel wall. If a solid central column is used, the foremost end of the interventional catheter is blocked by a solid central column, and the opening 70' of the interventional catheter will be located laterally (see Figure 9). At this point, the center of the polymeric elastomer 5' and the touch The front end of the cap 8 does not need to have an opening.

Although there is a small gap between the sidewall electrode 2 and the center pillar 7 shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 or between the sidewall electrode 2 and the spring seat 60, in actual production, the sidewall electrode 2 can be tightly pressed. It is attached to the center post 7 or the spring seat 60 (see Figures 8A and 8B). Since the sidewall electrode 2 is made of a metal material and has a certain rigidity, the front end of the center pillar 7 also has a certain rigidity, so that there is substantially no bending under the action of an external force, and the sidewall 12 and the limit of the touch sleeve are ensured. The warning electrode 4 is capable of achieving axial contact. When a solid center column is used, the requirement for the center column material to be unstressed is lower than that of the hollow center column.

As a variation of this embodiment, the limit warning electrode 4 may also be disposed on the sidewall electrode holder 9 The sheet electrode 4a on the front surface, as shown in Fig. 8A, may be simultaneously formed on the front surface and the side surface of the side wall electrode holder 9, as shown by the electrode 4b in Fig. 8B, or any suitable shape as long as It is ensured that the limit warning electrode 4 is not in contact with the side wall electrode 2 or may be separated by an insulating layer and the limit warning electrode 4 is aligned with the side wall 12 of the contact sleeve in the axial direction.

Second embodiment

The tactile probe of the present embodiment is as shown in Fig. 10, and the same configurations as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. A tactile probe according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes: a center post 7 extending along a longitudinal axis XX, and a contact sleeve 1 connected to the front end of the center post 7 by a polymer elastic body 5, uniformly arranged on the outer circumference of the center post 7 The side wall electrodes 2 are fixed to the top electrode 3 on the center post 7 by a spring 6, and the limit warning electrode 4' fixed to the side wall electrode holder 9'. Different from the first embodiment, the plurality of sidewall electrodes 2 in this embodiment are uniformly distributed on the sidewall of the sidewall electrode holder 9' in the circumferential direction, and the limit warning electrode 4' is fixed to the sidewall electrode. The bottom of the seat 9' extends radially outwardly such that the limit warning electrode 4' has at least a portion that is toward and aligned with the rear end of the annular side wall 12 of the contact sleeve 1.

By adopting the structure of the second embodiment, the longitudinal (axial) length of the probe can be shortened, the probe structure is more compact, and the rear end of the spring 6 can be directly fixed on the side wall electrode seat 9', thereby eliminating the need for the figure. Spring seat 60 in 1. In order to achieve electrical isolation between the sidewall electrode 2 and the limit warning electrode 4', the present embodiment also provides an insulating layer 10 between the sidewall electrode 2 and the limit warning electrode 4' to avoid crosstalk of the touch signal. In addition, the tactile probe may further include a touch cover cap 8 bonded to the touch cover 1 as a whole.

The tactile probe of this embodiment is similar to the working principle of the first embodiment, and the touch cover 1 is used as a signal input means, and the side wall electrode 2, the top electrode 3 and the limit warning electrode 4' are used as signal output means. As shown in FIG. 10, in the initial state, that is, in the case where the touch cover 1 is not subjected to any external force, the axial distance of the front surface 31 of the top-impact electrode 3 to the top 11 of the touch cover is d1, and the limit warning electrode 4 'The axial distance to the touch sleeve side wall 12 is d2. When the touch sleeve 1 encounters an obstacle in front of the obstacle, the force generated by the obstacle against the touch sleeve 1 will drive the touch sleeve 1 to move backward along the axis XX. When the moving distance reaches d1, the touch sleeve is touched. The top portion 11 is in contact with the front surface 31 of the top bump electrode 3, so that the loop is turned on, and a top touch signal is output from the top bump electrode 3. As the touch cover 1 is further moved rearward along the axis X-X by the direct forward contact force, the spring 6 is compressed by force, and the top contact electrode 3 continues to move backward with the touch cover 1 together. When the moving distance reaches d2, the side wall 12 of the touch sleeve and the limit warning electrode 4' Contacting, thereby turning the loop on, outputs an early warning signal from the limit warning electrode 4', indicating that the probe has encountered extreme pressure and should continue to deepen the interventional catheter. When the touch cover 1 is pressed to the front side, the touch cover 1 moves in the radial direction in addition to the rearward movement along the axis XX, and when one or both of the side wall electrodes 2 are radially touched, correspondingly The loop is turned on, and a side collision signal is emitted by the one or both side wall electrodes 2.

Third embodiment

The tactile probe of the present embodiment is as shown in Figs. 11 to 15, wherein the same configurations as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. A tactile probe according to a third embodiment of the present invention includes: a center post 7 extending along a longitudinal axis XX, a contact sleeve 1' connected to the front end of the center post 7 by a polymeric elastomer 5, connected to the center post 7 by a spring 6 and a side wall electrode holder 9 which is movable in the axial direction with respect to the center post 7, and a plurality of side wall electrodes 2 which are uniformly arranged around the center post 7 in the circumferential direction and are fixed on the front surface of the side wall electrode holder 9 are disposed on the side The top electrode 3' on the wall electrode holder 9 and the limit warning electrode 4 fixed to the rear of the top electrode 3' by a fixing base 40.

Different from the first embodiment, the contact sleeve 1' in this embodiment includes only the portion of the annular side wall, and the top portion 11 in FIG. 1 is omitted. The top-contact electrode 3' is a ring-shaped electrode and is located in the contact sleeve. The rear side of 1' is disposed on the outer circumference of the side wall electrode holder 9, and the top contact electrode 3' is aligned with the contact sleeve 1' in the axial direction. In addition, the third embodiment adds a fixing portion 40 having a substantially U-shaped cross section to the first embodiment, and the spring 6 is fixed at one end to the bottom of the side wall electrode holder 9 and at the other end to the U-shaped fixing seat 40. in. The limit warning electrode 4 is a ring electrode and is disposed on the outer circumference of the mount 40, and the limit warning electrode 4 and the top touch electrode 3' are aligned in the axial direction.

The tactile probe of this embodiment is similar to the operation of the first embodiment, and the touch cover 1' serves as a signal input means, and the side wall electrode 2, the top touch electrode 3' and the limit warning electrode 4 serve as signal output means. As shown in FIG. 11, in the initial state, that is, in the case where the touch cover 1' is not subjected to any external force, the axial distance from the bottom of the touch cover 1' to the top of the top touch electrode 3' is d1, and the top electrode 3' is touched. The axial distance from the bottom to the limit warning electrode 4 is d0. When the touch sleeve 1' encounters an obstacle in front of it, the force exerted by the obstacle on the touch sleeve 1' will drive the touch sleeve 1' rearward along the axis XX, that is, toward the top of the electrode 3'. When the moving distance reaches d1, as shown in FIG. 12, the bottom of the touch sleeve 1' is in contact with the top of the top bump electrode 3', so that the loop is turned on, and a top touch signal is output from the top bump electrode 3'. As the touch sleeve 1' is further moved backward along the axis XX under the direct contact force, the bottom of the touch sleeve 1' will be directed toward the top electrode 3' and the side wall electrode to which the top electrode 3' is fixed. Seat 9 applies a rearward pressure to spring The contraction 6 pushes the top striking electrode 3' and the side wall electrode holder 9 together with the plurality of side wall electrodes 2 fixed on the front surface of the side wall electrode holder 9 to continue moving rearward. When the distance d0 is continuously moved so that d1+d0 reaches a critical value, that is, equal to the distance d2 in the first and second embodiments, as shown in FIG. 13, the bottom of the top-impact electrode 3' is in contact with the limit warning electrode 4. Thereby, the contact sleeve 1' is brought into indirect contact with the limit warning electrode 4. Since the touch cover 1', the top touch electrode 3' and the limit warning electrode 4 are both electrically conductive, the corresponding circuit is turned on, and the top touch electrode 3' continues to output the top touch signal, and the limit warning electrode 4 is also output. An early warning signal indicates that the probe has encountered extreme pressure and should stop the further penetration of the interventional catheter. The advantage of the above-described fixing seat 40 being U-shaped in cross section is that a groove is formed in the front surface of the fixing seat 40 to provide a space for accommodating the spring 6, thereby facilitating contact of the top electrode 3' with the limit warning electrode 4.

Although only the case where the front side of the probe is moved backward is shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, it will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that when the front side of the probe is pressed, an axial component and a radial component are generated. The touch cover 1' is moved in the radial direction in addition to the rearward movement along the axis XX, and when the one or two side wall electrodes 2 are radially touched, the side collision signal is simultaneously emitted. 14 and 15 respectively show a schematic view of the contact sleeve 1' in contact with the top electrode 3' and the side wall electrode 2, and the contact sleeve 1' and the top electrode 3' after the right side of the probe is pressed. The sidewall electrode 2 and the limit warning electrode 4 form a schematic diagram of conduction.

In addition, the tactile probe may further include a touch cover cap 8 at the foremost end. The center post 7 can be made hollow or solid. The limit warning electrode 4 may be the sheet electrode 4a shown in Fig. 8A, or the shape 4b shown in Fig. 8B, or any suitable shape.

Fourth embodiment

The tactile probe of the present embodiment is as shown in Fig. 16, wherein the same configurations as those of the third embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. A tactile probe according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention includes: a center post 7 extending along a longitudinal axis XX, a contact sleeve 1' connected to the front end of the center post 7 by a polymer elastic body 5, and a side wall electrode holder 9', along the circumference A plurality of side wall electrodes 2 uniformly arranged around the center post 7 and fixed to the side wall electrode holder 9', and a top contact electrode 3 provided at the bottom of the side wall electrode holder 9' and connected to the center post 7 by a spring 6 And the limit warning electrode 4 fixed to the rear of the top electrode 3 by a fixing seat 40. Different from the third embodiment, the plurality of sidewall electrodes 2 in this embodiment are uniformly disposed on the sidewall of the sidewall electrode holder 9' in the circumferential direction, and the top electrode 3" is fixed to the sidewall electrode. The bottom of the seat 9' and extending radially outward such that the front surface of the top-impact electrode 3" has at least a portion facing the annular side wall of the contact sleeve 1' The rear end is aligned with it and the rear surface of the top-impact electrode 3" has at least a portion that is oriented toward and aligned with the limit warning electrode 4.

With the structure of the fourth embodiment, the longitudinal (axial) length of the probe can be shortened, and the probe structure can be made more compact. In order to achieve electrical isolation between the sidewall electrode 2 and the top bump electrode 3", the present embodiment also provides an insulating layer 10 between the sidewall electrode 2 and the top bump electrode 3" to avoid crosstalk of the touch signal. In addition, the tactile probe may further include a touch cover cap 8 bonded to the touch cover 1' as a whole.

The tactile probe of the present embodiment is similar to the working principle of the third embodiment, and the touch cover 1' serves as a signal input device, and the side wall electrode 2, the top touch electrode 3" and the limit warning electrode 4 serve as signal output means. It is shown that, in the initial state, that is, the contact sleeve 1' is not subjected to any external force, the axial distance from the front surface of the top-impact electrode 3" to the bottom of the touch-contact sleeve 1' is d1, and the top-contact electrode 3" The axial distance from the rear surface to the limit warning electrode 4 is d0. When the touch sleeve 1' encounters an obstacle in front of it, the force generated by the obstacle against the touch sleeve 1' will drive the touch sleeve 1' along The axis XX moves backward, that is, in the direction of the top touch electrode 3". When the moving distance reaches d1, the bottom of the touch cover 1' is in contact with the front surface of the top bump electrode 3", thereby turning the loop on, and the top touches The electrode 3" outputs a top touch signal. As the touch sleeve 1' is further moved rearward along the axis XX by the forward contact force, the bottom of the touch sleeve 1' will apply a rearward pressure to the top electrode 3" to compress the spring 6. Thereby, the pushing top electrode 3" is moved rearward together with the side wall electrode holder 9' and the plurality of side wall electrodes 2 fixed on the side of the side wall electrode holder 9'. When the distance d0 is continuously moved so that d1+d0 reaches a critical value, that is, equal to the distance d2 in the first and second embodiments, the rear surface of the top-collector electrode 3" is in contact with the limit warning electrode 4, thereby making the touch The sleeve 1' forms an indirect contact with the limit warning electrode 4. Since the touch sleeve 1', the top electrode 3" and the limit warning electrode 4 are both electrically conductive, the corresponding circuit is turned on, and the top electrode 3" continues to output the top. At the same time as the signal is touched, the warning signal is also output by the limit warning electrode 4. At this time, it indicates that the probe has encountered the limit pressure, and the penetration of the catheter should be stopped. When the touch sleeve 1' is pressed to the front side, the touch sleeve 1', in addition to moving backwards along the axis XX, also moves in the radial direction. When one or both of the side wall electrodes 2 are radially contacted, the corresponding circuit is turned on, and the one or both side wall electrodes are turned on. 2 Issue a side collision signal.

Preferably, the fixing base 40 in this embodiment is also designed in a U shape to provide a space for accommodating the spring 6, thereby facilitating contact of the top electrode 3" with the limit warning electrode 4.

Further, as a variation of the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, the cross section of the side wall electrode holder 9 may be formed into a substantially inverted U shape, thereby forming a groove at the bottom of the side wall electrode holder 9. . many The side wall electrodes 2 are disposed on the front surface of the side wall electrode holder 9, the top electrode 3' is disposed on the outer circumference of the side wall electrode holder 9, and one end of the spring 6 is fixed in the groove at the bottom of the side wall electrode holder 9, and One end is fixed to the fixing base 40. With this configuration, it is also possible to provide a storage space for the spring 6, which is located at the bottom of the side wall electrode holder 9. At this time, the cross section of the fixing base 40 may be a rectangular shape or a U-shaped shape, and the limit warning electrode 4 may be in the form of a ring or a sheet (the ring shape is shown in the drawing), which is not limited herein.

As another variation of the third embodiment, as shown in Fig. 18, the cross-section of the top electrode 3' may be substantially inverted U-shaped so that a groove is formed at the bottom of the top electrode 3'. The top electrode 3' is disposed on the rear surface of the side wall electrode holder 9, and the plurality of side wall electrodes 2 are disposed on the front surface of the side wall electrode holder 9. One end of the spring 6 is fixed to the bottom of the top electrode 3' The other end of the recess is fixed to the fixing base 40. The spring 6 can be made of an insulating elastic material or a metal. When the material of the spring 6 is metal, an insulating layer needs to be provided between one end of the spring 6 and the top electrode 3' to be electrically conductive. The role of isolation. With this configuration, it is also possible to provide a storage space for the spring 6, which is located at the bottom of the top-contact electrode 3'. At this time, the cross section of the fixing base 40 may be a rectangular shape or a U-shaped shape, and the limit warning electrode 4 may be a ring shape or a sheet shape (a sheet shape as shown in the drawing), which is not limited herein. Similar to the top-collector electrode 3' in the present modification, when the sheet-shaped limit warning electrode 4 is used, the spring 6 may be made of an insulating elastic material, or when the spring 6 is made of metal, at the other end of the spring 6 An insulating layer is disposed between the limit warning electrodes 4 to function as an electrical isolation.

Further, as a variation of the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19, the cross section of the top electrode 3" may be formed into a substantially inverted U shape, thereby forming a groove at the bottom of the top electrode 3". . The top bump electrode 3" is disposed on the rear surface of the sidewall electrode holder 9', and the plurality of sidewall electrodes 2 are disposed on the side surface of the sidewall electrode holder 9', and the plurality of sidewall electrodes 2 and the top bump electrode 3 They are also separated by an insulating layer 10. One end of the spring 6 is fixed in the groove at the bottom of the top electrode 3", and the other end is fixed on the fixing seat 40. The spring 6 can be made of an insulating elastic material or a metal, and the material of the spring 6 is metal. At this time, it is also necessary to provide an insulating layer between one end of the spring 6 and the top bump electrode 3" to function as an electrical isolation. With this configuration, it is also possible to provide a storage space for the spring 6, which is located at the bottom of the top-collector electrode 3". At this time, the cross-section of the fixing base 40 may be rectangular or U-shaped, and the limit warning electrode 4 may be annular. It may also be in the form of a sheet, and specifically refer to FIGS. 17 and 18, which are not limited herein.

The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and all changes and modifications made within the scope of the claims of the present invention should be construed as the scope of the claims.

Claims

A tactile probe that includes:

a central column extending in the axial direction;

a plurality of sidewall electrodes are evenly arranged on the outer circumference of the center pillar;

An electrically conductive contact sleeve circumferentially surrounding the outer periphery of the center post, the contact sleeve including a top portion and a side wall, the top portion being coupled to the front end of the center post by an elastic body, the side a first end of the wall is coupled to the top portion, a second end circumferentially surrounding an outer circumference of the plurality of sidewall electrodes, and a radial gap between the sidewall and each of the sidewall electrodes;

a top bump electrode connected to the center post and having a first axial distance from the top of the touch sleeve;

An early warning electrode fixed to the center post and located at an axial position behind the touch sleeve and the top touch electrode;

Wherein the contact sleeve is radially movable relative to the central column and can be electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of sidewall electrodes to generate a side touch signal;

Wherein the contact sleeve is axially movable relative to the central column such that when the axial displacement of the contact sleeve relative to the center post reaches the first axial distance, the touch sleeve is in contact with the top The electrode is electrically connected to generate a top touch signal, and the touch sleeve is when the axial displacement of the contact sleeve relative to the center post reaches a second axial distance greater than the first axial distance Forming an electrical connection with the warning electrode and generating an early warning signal.
The haptic probe of claim 1 wherein: said top striking electrode is movably coupled to said center post such that an axial displacement of said contact sleeve relative to said center post is greater than said first axial direction At the time of the distance, the top bump electrode can move axially with the touch sleeve relative to the center post.
The haptic probe of claim 1, further comprising a sidewall electrode holder fixed to the center post, the plurality of sidewall electrodes and the warning electrode are disposed on the sidewall electrode holder, and The warning electrode has at least a portion axially aligned with a sidewall of the contact sleeve, the early warning electrode having the second axial distance between a second end of the sidewall of the contact sleeve.
The haptic probe of claim 3, wherein: said plurality of sidewall electrodes are disposed in said On the front surface of the side wall electrode holder, the early warning electrode is a ring electrode disposed on the outer circumference of the side wall electrode holder and axially aligned with the side wall of the contact sleeve.
The tactile probe according to claim 3, wherein: said plurality of side wall electrodes are disposed on a front surface of said side wall electrode holder, said warning electrode being a sheet-like electrode, also disposed on said side wall The front surface of the electrode holder is aligned with the side wall of the contact sleeve in the axial direction.
The tactile probe according to claim 3, wherein: said plurality of side wall electrodes are disposed on an outer circumference of said side wall electrode holder, said warning electrode being disposed on a rear surface of said side wall electrode holder and having a ring shape The radial extension is aligned with the sidewall of the contact sleeve.
A tactile probe that includes:

a central column extending in the axial direction;

a plurality of sidewall electrodes are evenly arranged on the outer circumference of the center pillar;

a substantially annular and electrically conductive contact sleeve circumferentially surrounding the outer periphery of the center post, the contact sleeve having a first end connected to the front end of the center post by an elastic body, and a second The end circumferentially surrounds the outer circumference of the plurality of sidewall electrodes, and the contact sleeve has a radial gap with each of the sidewall electrodes;

a top electrode connected to the center post and having a first axial distance from the second end of the touch sleeve;

An early warning electrode fixed to the center post and located at an axial position behind the touch sleeve and the top touch electrode;

Wherein the contact sleeve is radially movable relative to the central column and can be electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of sidewall electrodes to generate a side touch signal;

Wherein the contact sleeve is axially movable relative to the central column such that when the axial displacement of the contact sleeve relative to the center post reaches the first axial distance, the touch sleeve is in contact with the top The electrode is electrically connected to generate a top touch signal, and the touch sleeve is when the axial displacement of the contact sleeve relative to the center post reaches a second axial distance greater than the first axial distance Forming an electrical connection with the warning electrode and generating an early warning signal.
The haptic probe of claim 7 further comprising:

a sidewall electrode holder, wherein the plurality of sidewall electrodes and the top bump electrode are fixed to the sidewall One of the sidewall electrode holder, the top electrode and the plurality of sidewall electrodes is coupled to the center post by a resilient member such that the axial displacement of the contact sleeve relative to the center post When the first axial distance is greater than the first axial distance, the sidewall electrode holder, the top electrode and the plurality of sidewall electrodes can move axially with the contact sleeve relative to the center column;

a fixing seat for fixing the warning electrode to the center post,

Wherein the top bump electrode has at least a portion aligned with the warning electrode in the axial direction.
The tactile probe according to claim 8, wherein: said plurality of side wall electrodes are disposed on a front surface of said side wall electrode holder, said side wall electrode holder being coupled to said center post by said elastic member The top electrode is a ring electrode disposed on an outer circumference of the side wall electrode holder and axially aligned with a second end of the contact sleeve.
The tactile probe according to claim 9, wherein the fixing seat has a "U" shape in cross section, or the side wall electrode holder has an inverted "U" shape in cross section.
The haptic probe according to claim 8, wherein: said plurality of sidewall electrodes are disposed on an outer circumference of said sidewall electrode holder, said top bump electrode being disposed on a rear surface of said sidewall electrode holder and having a A radially extending portion of the ring is aligned with the second end of the contact sleeve, the top striking electrode being coupled to the center post by the resilient member.
The tactile probe according to claim 11, wherein said fixing seat has a "U" shape in cross section, or said top collet electrode has an inverted "U" shape.
The tactile probe according to claim 11, wherein said top-impact electrode and said elastic member are separated by an insulating layer, or said elastic member is made of an insulating material.
The tactile probe according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the warning electrode is a ring electrode disposed on an outer circumference of the fixing seat such that an axial displacement of the contact sleeve relative to the center post reaches The second end of the contact sleeve is electrically connected to the early warning electrode through the top electrode.
The tactile probe according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the warning electrode is a sheet-shaped electrode provided on a front surface of the holder such that when the contact sleeve is axial with respect to the center post When the displacement reaches the second axial distance, the second end of the contact sleeve is electrically connected to the early warning electrode through the top electrode.
The haptic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein each of the top-impact electrode and the early warning electrode does not contact the plurality of sidewall electrodes or passes through an insulating layer The plurality of sidewall electrodes are spaced apart.
The tactile probe according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein each of the side wall electrodes has a shape of a column, a sheet, a dot or a radioactive needle.
The tactile probe according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the touch cover further comprises a cap connected to the top for arranging the front end of the center post and the elastic body therein.
A tactile probe according to claim 18, wherein said central post is a hollow cylinder and the front end of said brim of said contact sleeve has an opening for the passage of therapeutic machinery and/or medicament.
The tactile probe according to claim 18, wherein said center post is a solid cylinder, and an opening is formed in a side surface of the bottom end of the center post for passage of a therapeutic machine and/or a medicament.